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“And third of all, I don’t want to be with him either.”
“Why?”
“He lied to me. And he broke his promise. And to be honest, I’m mad at him. I don’t want to see him.”
“I’m mad too, but I still have to see him.”
“He’s your dad—“
“Amelia!” Sophia interrupts our conversation by practically jumping on me and giving me a hug, which is awkward when I’m sitting and she’s standing. “Tomorrow is the concert! Is Georgina here yet?”
“Not yet,” I lie.
“I can’t wait!” She’s got the biggest smile on her face, and I can tell that her excitement is even getting Chase out of his bad mood.
“Me too,” he says, though I’ve never seen him show any particular interest in Georgina.
“If you like Georgina, Chase,” I say, “I could introduce you to her.”
As I hoped, Sophia squeals, hurting my eardrum. “Introduce me!”
I laugh, and Chase does too. “How about the both of you come find me near the stage after the concert?”
“Yes, yes, yes!” Sophia hugs me again, and then she hugs Chase, whose face turns bright red. “I have to call Kelly.”
She runs off.
Chase tells me excitedly about how all the girls at school can’t stop talking about Georgina, and I listen with a smile fixed on my face while thinking about what to do about dinner tonight.
It’s not until we leave the cafe that I bring up the subject again. “I have to go to dinner tonight because I promised Mads. But if you really don’t want to go, I can ask Scarlett if you can have dinner at her house instead.”
But from the look on his face, it was the wrong thing to say.
“If that’s what you want…”
“It’s not what I want. I haven’t seen you all week, and I miss you. What I want is for you to come to dinner with us tonight. But I don’t want to force you to spend time with Blake if you don’t want to.”
“I don’t care.”
“Great. Then we’ll have fun at dinner. We’re going to the Mountain View Grill. And afterwards we’ll go to the festival. And Blake said he wants to take you to the carnival.”
“Where will you be?”
“Watching you from a bench with Mads while you go on all the rides that I’m too scared to go on with you.”
He smiles at that. “Can I go on the tornado?”
“Yes.”
“Alright.”
Blake
I arrive at the Mountain View Grill early. I want to get there first so no one has to wait for me. Alex Walker, who was a year behind me in school and whose family owns the restaurant, greets me and takes me to our table.
I order a beer, hoping to settle my nerves. I’ve known Chase his whole life, how can I be so scared of seeing him now? I’ve been to every one of his birthdays since he was born. But I’ve never wanted so badly for him to accept me.
Mads is a different story altogether. She and I were never close even when she was married to Luke, and even less after they divorced. I’ve always been polite but distant with her, and I can’t imagine what she thinks of me.
